Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic concentrations in Bangladesh

Nature Geoscience volume 3, pages 46–52 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

The origin of dissolved arsenic in the Ganges Delta has puzzled researchers ever since the report of widespread arsenic poisoning two decades ago. Today, microbially mediated oxidation of organic carbon is thought to drive the geochemical transformations that release arsenic from sediments, but the source of the organic carbon that fuels these processes remains controversial. At a typical site in Bangladesh, where groundwater-irrigated rice fields and constructed ponds are the main sources of groundwater recharge, we combine hydrologic and biogeochemical analyses to trace the origin of contaminated groundwater. Incubation experiments indicate that recharge from ponds contains biologically degradable organic carbon, whereas recharge from rice fields contains mainly recalcitrant organic carbon. Chemical and isotopic indicators as well as groundwater simulations suggest that recharge from ponds carries this degradable organic carbon into the shallow aquifer, and that groundwater flow, drawn by irrigation pumping, transports pond water to the depth where dissolved arsenic concentrations are greatest. Results also indicate that arsenic concentrations are low in groundwater originating from rice fields. Furthermore, solute composition in arsenic-contaminated water is consistent with that predicted using geochemical models of pond-water–aquifer-sediment interactions. We therefore suggest that the construction of ponds has influenced aquifer biogeochemistry, and that patterns of arsenic contamination in the shallow aquifer result from variations in the source of water, and the complex three-dimensional patterns of groundwater flow.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Concentration and recharge profiles in Munshiganj, Bangladesh.
Figure 2: Three-dimensional groundwater flow and transport model.
Figure 3: BDOC experiment.
Figure 4: Arsenic concentrations beneath recharge sources.
Figure 5: Chemical characteristics of recharge and aquifer water.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. BGS, DFID, DPHE. Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh. BGS Technical Report WC/00/19 Vol. 1 & 2 (eds Kinniburgh, D. G. and Smedley P. L.) (British Geological Survey, 2001).

  2. Harvey, C. F. et al. Arsenic mobility and groundwater extraction in Bangladesh. Science 298, 1602–1606 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Stollenwerk, K. G. et al. Arsenic attenuation by oxidized aquifer sediments in Bangladesh. Sci. Total Environ. 379, 133–150 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Dowling, C. B., Poreda, R. J., Basu, A. R., Peters, S. L. & Aggarwal, P. K. Geochemical study of arsenic release mechanisms in the Bengal Basin groundwater. Wat. Resourc. Res. 38, 1173 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Swartz, C. H. et al. Mobility of arsenic in a Bangladesh aquifer: Inferences from geochemical profiles, leaching data, and mineralogical characterization. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 68, 4539–4557 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Zheng, Y. et al. Geochemical and hydrogeological contrasts between shallow and deeper aquifers in two villages of Araihazar, Bangladesh: Implications for deeper aquifers as drinking water sources. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 69, 5203–5218 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Harvey, C. F. et al. Groundwater dynamics and arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. Chem. Geol. 228, 112–136 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Anawar, H. M. et al. Geochemical occurrence of arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh: Sources and mobilization processes. J. Geochem. Explor. 77, 109–131 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Mitamura, M. et al. Geological structure of an arsenic-contaminated aquifer at Sonargaon, Bangladesh. J. Geol. 116, 288–302 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Van Geen, A. et al. Spatial variability of arsenic in 6000 tube wells in a 25 km(2) area of Bangladesh. Wat. Resourc. Res. 39, 1140 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Klump, S. et al. Groundwater dynamics and arsenic mobilization in Bangladesh assessed using noble gases and tritium. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 243–250 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Benner, S. G. et al. Groundwater flow in an arsenic-contaminated aquifer, Mekong Delta, Cambodia. Appl. Geochem. 23, 3072–3087 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Polizzotto, M. L., Kocar, B. D., Benner, S. G., Sampson, M. & Fendorf, S. Near-surface wetland sediments as a source of arsenic release to ground water in Asia. Nature 454, 505–508 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Welch, P. S. Limnology (McGraw-Hill, 1952).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sengupta, S. et al. Do ponds cause arsenic-pollution of groundwater in the Bengal basin? An answer from West Bengal. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, 5156–5164 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Servais, P., Billen, G. & Hascoet, M. C. Determination of the biodegradable fraction of dissolved organic matter in waters. Water Res. 21, 445–450 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Neumann, R. B. et al. The hydrology of a groundwater-irrigated rice field in Bangladesh: Seasonal and daily mechanisms of infiltration. Wat. Resourc. Res. 45, W09412 (2009).

  18. Jardine, P. M., McCarthy, J. F. & Weber, N. L. Mechanisms of dissolved organic carbon adsorption on soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 53, 1378–1385 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kirk, G. The Biogeochemistry of Submerged Soils (Wiley, 2004).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. Panaullah, G. et al. Arsenic toxicity to rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Bangladesh. Plant Soil. 317, 31–39 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Dittmar, J. et al. Spatial distribution and temporal variability of arsenic in irrigated rice field in Bangladesh: 2. Paddy soil. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41, 5967–5972 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Akai, J. et al. Mineralogical and geomicrobiological investigations on groundwater arsenic enrichment in Bangladesh. Appl. Geochem. 19, 215–230 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Islam, F. S. et al. Role of metal-reducing bacteria in arsenic release from Bengal delta sediments. Nature 430, 68–71 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Radloff, K. A. et al. Mobilization of arsenic during one-year incubations of grey aquifer sands from Araihazar, Bangladesh. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41, 3639–3645 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Van Geen, A. et al. Decoupling of As and Fe release to Bangladesh groundwater under reducing conditions. Part II: Evidence from sediment incubations. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 68, 3475–3486 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Polizzotto, M. L. et al. Solid-phases and desorption processes of arsenic within Bangladesh sediments. Chem. Geol. 228, 97–111 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Coker, V. S. et al. XAS and XMCD evidence for species-dependent partitioning of arsenic during microbial reduction of ferrihydrite to magnetite. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 7745–7750 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kocar, B. D., Herbel, M. J., Tufano, K. J. & Fendorf, S. Contrasting effects of dissimilatory iron(III) and arsenic(V) reduction on arsenic retention and transport. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 6715–6721 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Tufano, K. J. & Fendorf, S. Confounding impacts of iron reduction on arsenic retention. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, 4777–4783 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Mailloux, B. J. et al. Microbial mineral weathering for nutrient acquisition releases arsenic. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75, 2558–2565 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Welch, S. A., Taunton, A. E. & Banfield, J. F. Effect of microorganisms and microbial metabolites on apatite dissolution. Geomicrobiol. J. 19, 343–367 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Seddique, A. A. et al. Arsenic release from biotite into a Holocene groundwater aquifer in Bangladesh. Appl. Geochem. 23, 2236–2248 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Itai, T. et al. Hydrological and geochemical constraints on the mechanism of formation of arsenic contaminated groundwater in Sonargaon, Bangladesh. Appl. Geochem. 23, 2236–2248 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Smedley, P. L. & Kinniburgh, D. G. A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Appl. Geochem. 17, 517–568 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Clark, I. D. & Fritz, P. Environmental Isotopes in Hydrogeology (Lewis, 1997).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Kaiser, K. & Zech, W. Rates of dissolved organic matter release and sorption in forest soils. Soil Sci. 163, 714–725 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Orphan, V. J., House, C. H., Hinrichs, K. U., McKeegan, K. D. & DeLong, E. F. Multiple archaeal groups mediate methane oxidation in anoxic cold seep sediments. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 99, 7663–7668 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Raghoebarsing, A. A. et al. A microbial consortium couples anaerobic methane oxidation to denitrification. Nature 440, 918–921 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Stute, M. et al. Hydrological control of As concentrations in Bangladesh groundwater. Wat. Resourc. Res. 43, W09417 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. McArthur, J. M. et al. Natural organic matter in sedimentary basins and its relation to arsenic in anoxic ground water: The example of West Bengal and its worldwide implications. Appl. Geochem. 19, 1255–1293 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. van Geen, A. et al. Flushing history as a hydrogeological control on the regional distribution of arsenic in shallow groundwater of the Bengal Basin. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, 2283–2288 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Manouchehr, A. et al. Statistical modeling of global geogenic arsenic contamination in groundwater. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, 3669–3675 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Michael, H. A. & Voss, C. I. Evaluation of the sustainability of deep groundwater as an arsenic-safe resource in the Bengal Basin. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 8531–8536 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Van Geen, A. et al. Monitoring 51 community wells in Araihazar, Bangladesh, for up to 5 years: Implications for arsenic mitigation. J. Environ. Sci. Health A 42, 1729–1740 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Meharg, A. A. & Rahman, M. Arsenic contamination of Bangladesh paddy field soils: Implications for rice contribution to arsenic consumption. Environ. Sci. Technol. 37, 229–234 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Diersch, H. J. G. FEFLOW Finite Element Subsurface Flow and Transport Simulation System, Release 5.0., User’s Manual/Reference Manual/White Papers (WASY, 2002).

  47. Doherty, J. PEST (Watermark Computing, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  48. Zheng, C. & Bennett, G. D. Applied Contaminant Transport Modeling (Wiley Interscience, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Roberts, L. et al. Spatial distribution and temporal variability of arsenic in irrigated rice fields in Bangladesh: 1. Irrigation water. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41, 5960–5966 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NSF EAR 0651678 and 0605515, and the Center for Environmental Sensing and Modelling at the Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology. We thank M. Polizzotto, S. J. White, J. Jay, T. Lin, L. Roberts and J. Dittmar for help in the field; A. St. Vincent, F. Khan, K. Zwieniecki, S. Hug, U. Mayer, O. Singurindy, C. Varadharajan, G. Li, P. Jewett, B. Jackson, P. Zietz, R. Baker, J. Landis, J. Gabites, P. Girguis and G. Eischeid for sample analysis help; D. Schrag, J. Jay, C.-C. Lin and the research groups of P. M. Gschwend and H. F. Hemond for intellectual support; Anis and Mitu at B.U.E.T. and the people of Bashailbhog village, especially R. Chowdhury, S. Chowdhury, Sha’alam and Rasil for their instrumental support of our project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

    Rebecca B. Neumann, Khandaker N. Ashfaque & Charles F. Harvey

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

    A. B. M. Badruzzaman & M. Ashraf Ali

  3. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

    Julie K. Shoemaker

Authors
  1. Rebecca B. Neumann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Khandaker N. Ashfaque
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. B. M. Badruzzaman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Ashraf Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Julie K. Shoemaker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Charles F. Harvey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

R.B.N. and C.F.H. wrote the manuscript; C.F.H. conceived and funded the project; A.B.M.B. and M.A.A. provided logistical support for the fieldwork, including the arrangements for establishing the field site; K.N.A. oversaw the installation of all the aquifer wells, collected the arsenic data from the aquifer wells, developed the three-dimensional numerical model, carried out field experiments to parameterize and constrain the model and collected all of the δ18O and δ2H data before 2008; R.B.N. installed the rice-field and pond lysimeters, collected the chemical data for the pond and rice-field recharge, collected all δ18O and δ2H data from 2008, created the endmember mixing profiles, developed the PHREEQ-C inverse models and conceived of and carried out the BDOC experiment; R.B.N. and J.K.S. collected the methane data for the aquifer wells, the rice field and the pond; J.K.S. collected the 2007 carbon-13 data for the aquifer wells, the rice field and the pond.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Charles F. Harvey.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Information (PDF 7389 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Neumann, R., Ashfaque, K., Badruzzaman, A. et al. Anthropogenic influences on groundwater arsenic concentrations in Bangladesh. Nature Geosci 3, 46–52 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo685

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo685

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing